EVENING PRAYER WITH BENEDICTION EUCHARISTIC EXPOSITION ENTRANCE OF THE MINISTERS EXPOSITION HYMN KNEEL O SALUTARIS HOSTIA SILENCE EVENING PRAYER INVITATORY HYMN TUNE: OLD HUNDRETH As sun declines and shadows fall, The sea and hills will fade from sight; Its fiery orb bids us farewell But promises tomorrow's light. And this, O God, creator wise, You regulate in wondrous way The laws of this great universe At which we marvel night and day. While darkness rides across the sky, And stars their silent watches keep, Your children leave their constant toil, Regaining strength by peaceful sleep. Made rich in hope, kept strong in faith, May we be blest throughout the night, By Christ, the Word, who timeless reigns, True splendor of the Father’s light. He is the sun that never sets, No dusk can make his lustre die, The kind Protector of the earth, The joys of all the saints on high. O Father, Son and Spirit blest Grant us at last that light to see, And full of joy your praises sing, Bathed in your love eternally. Amen. PSALMODY SIT Antiphon: Do not let your hearts be troubled; have faith in me, alleluia. Psalm 62 Peace in God May God, the source of our hope, fill your hearts with peace as you believe in him (Romans 15:13). I – Cantor II--Assembly I In God alone is my soul at rest; my help comes from him. He alone is my rock, my stronghold, my fortress: I stand firm. II How long will you all attack one man to break him down, as though he were a tottering wall, or a tumbling fence? I Their plan is only to destroy: they take pleasure in lies. With their mouth they utter blessing but in their heart they curse. II In God alone be at rest my soul; my help comes from him. He alone is my rock, my stronghold, my fortress: I stand firm. I In God is my safety and glory, the rock of my strength. Take refuge in God, all you people. Trust him at all times. Pour out your hearts before him for God is our refuge. II Common folk are only a breath, great men an illusion. Placed in the scales, they rise; they weigh less than a breath. I Do not put your trust in oppression nor vain hopes on plunder. Do not set your heart on riches even when they increase. II For God has said only one thing: only two do I know: that to God alone belongs power and to you, Lord, love; and that you repay each man according to his deeds. I Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: II as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Antiphon: Do not let your hearts be troubled; have faith in me, alleluia. Antiphon: Let the peoples praise you, Lord God; let them rejoice in your salvation, alleluia. Psalm 67 People of all nations will worship the Lord You must know that God is offering his salvation to all the world (Acts 28:28). I O God, be gracious and bless us and let your face shed its light upon us. So will your ways be known upon earth and all nations learn your saving help. II Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you. I Let the nations be glad and exult for you rule the world with justice. With fairness you rule the peoples, you guide the nations on earth. II Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you. I The earth has yielded its fruit For God, our God, has blessed us. May God still give us his blessing till the ends of the earth revere him. II Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: I as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen. Antiphon: Let the peoples praise you, Lord God; let them rejoice in your salvation, alleluia. Antiphon: His glory cover the heavens and his praise fills the earth, alleluia. Colossians 1:12-20 Christ the first-born of all creation and the first-born from the dead I Let us give thanks to the Father for having made you worthy to share the lot of the saints in light. II He rescued us from the power of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of his beloved Son. Through him we have redemption, the forgiveness of our sins. I He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creatures. In him everything in heaven and on earth was created, things visible and invisible. II All were created through him; all were created for him. He is before all else that is. In him everything continues in being. I It is he who is head of the body, the church! he who is the beginning, the first born of the dead, so that primacy may be his in everything. II It pleased God to make absolute fullness reside in him and, by means of him, to reconcile everything in his person, both on earth and in the heavens, making peace through the blood of his cross. I Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: II As it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen. Antiphon: His glory cover the heavens and his praise fills the earth, alleluia. READING Romans 8:31b-35, 37-39 What will separate us from the love of Christ? A reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Romans Brothers and sisters: If God is for us, who can be against us? He did not spare his own Son but handed him over for us all, will he not also give us everything else along with him? Who will bring a charge against God's chosen ones? It is God who acquits us. Who will condemn? It is Christ Jesus who died, rather, was raised, who also is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us. What will separate us from the love of Christ? Will anguish, or distress or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or the sword? No, in all these things, we conquer overwhelmingly through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor present things, nor future things, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. The word of the Lord. HOMILY RESPONSORY Cantor: The disciples rejoiced, alleluia, alleluia. All: The disciples rejoiced, alleluia, alleluia. Cantor: When they saw the risen Lord, All: alleluia, alleluia. Cantor: Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, All: The disciples rejoiced, alleluia, alleluia. CANTICLE OF MARY STAND Antiphon: The man of God welcomes the light that searches his deeds and finds them true, alleluia. My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Savior for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant. From this day all generations will call me blessed: the Almighty has done great things for me and holy is his Name. He has mercy on those who fear him in every generation. He has shown the strength of his arm, he has scattered the proud in their conceit. He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, and has lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. He has come to the help of his servant Israel for he has remembered his promise of mercy, the promise he made to our fathers, to Abraham and his children for ever. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning is now, and will be forever. Amen. Antiphon: The man of God welcomes the light that searches his deeds and finds them true, alleluia. INTERCESSIONS Bishop: In his Son, Risen from the dead, God has opened for us the way to everlasting life. Let us ask the Father: Cantor: God of our fathers, you raised your Son Jesus from the dead and clothed him in glory; move our hearts to complete repentance—that we may walk in newness of life. Cantor: You have lead us back to the shepherd and bishop of our souls,—keep us faithful under the guidance of the shepherds of the Church. Cantor: You chose the firstfruits of Christ’s disciples from the Jewish people – reveal to the children of Israel the fulfillment of the promise made to their forefathers. Cantor: Remember the lonely, the orphaned and the widowed—and do not abandon those who have been reconciled with you by the death of your Son. Cantor: You called Stephen to your presence when he bore witness to Jesus, standing at your right hand—welcome our deceased brothers and sisters who in faith and love hoped for the vision of your glory, especially those who have died as a result of the coronavirus. Cantor: You know the suffering of your people—heal all of those suffering from the current pandemic, keep safe those who are exposed to the coronavirus, and inspire the hearts and minds of medical professions so that they may eradicate this disease. THE LORD’S PRAYER CONCLUDING PRAYER Bishop: God of mercy, you have filled us with the hope of resurrection by restoring man to his original dignity.